route_1065 | over there stands my angry angel ♫ [closed]

Entry tags:

over there stands my angry angel ♫ [closed]

Who: Ciel and Sebastian.
Where: Their room at the Violet City Inn.
When: ~11pm, January 14th.
Summary: Ciel needs to reprimand Sebastian; Sebastian's in no mood for it.
Rating: PG-13 for ~~possible~~ language/violence? ~~No clue how this is gonna go, kiddies.~~ It went that way.
Log:

[ It's too dark out to train, even with the snow on the ground reflecting every ounce of light it can find. Sebastian was irritated again when he realized that his night vision was as degraded as the rest of him, thanks to the inexplicable oppression of this ridiculous place.

So here he is, absurdly sleepy for the hour, alone in his room with no one to tend to and a disturbing lack of purpose in his veins. At the very least, his eye isn't swollen anymore. He's settled at the desk with a bottle of black nail polish and a bored expression. His nails are hidden under the gloves he wears most of the time, anyway, but it bothers him when he sees them bare, the way they are here in Johto. The polish is a ridiculous attempt at consolation. ]

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[Ciel's made sure Elizabeth is well settled into her own room, which he insisted on paying for before returning to his own. His cheeks are still a little rosy from the travel in the cold night air. Miss Trepe's Skarmory is tucked in it's ball in his bag, ready to be returned.

He enters quietly, though he doesn't expect Sebastian to be asleep. Still getting used to the idea of his butler's humanity, his sleeping isn't one of his foremost thoughts.]

I hope there's tea.

[ There's a moment — the sort of moment which seems to be occurring with startling frequency since their arrival here — in which Sebastian thinks it an incredibly good idea to tell Ciel to get his own tea. He brushes the urge aside with practiced ease and puts the brush back in the bottle of polish. He'll serve tea without his gloves. ]

Right away, young master.

[ He keeps his head bowed as he passes Ciel to step behind him and take his coat delicately, taking care not to ruin his nails. ]

I trust Lady Elizabeth is settled in and taken care of?

Yes. She seems to be adjusting rather well despite the situation.

[He lets Sebastian take his coat and scarf before moving to sit in the chair near his bed, though flop might be more appropriate. It's been a long week or so and he's relieved to be back in his own room.

He watches Sebastian move about and frowns slightly. Sebastian's avoiding looking directly at Ciel, a fact he doesn't miss.]

Is there anything I need to know about that happened in my absence?

That's excellent to hear.

[ The coat and scarf are hung where they belong, and once Ciel's seated, Sebastian comes to kneel before him, head still bowed, and begins to unlace his boots with careful fingers. He doesn't anticipate being able to hide his eye for long, but he'll damn well try. ]

Nothing of importance, no. I've ensured that Miss Chrome is looked after, and kept my normal hours in the kitchen.

Hmm.

[Again, he watches him critically as he removes his boots, but says nothing. He'll find out in due time he's sure.]

I am relieved to hear Miss Chrome is doing well. I hear you intend to spar with her. Is that such a good idea? [He doesn't say that it might not be, because Sebastian might end up the loser. It's just as well that he wouldn't either. Chrome is a small girl after all.]

[ Sebastian sets the boots aside, near the fire to melt off any snow that remains, and rises to his feet, already turning toward the door. Ciel might get a full view of the left side of Sebastian's face, but not the right. ]

I'm certain I can refrain from seriously injuring her. [ Whether she can refrain from seriously injuring him might be another matter entirely. He says nothing of the sort. ]

I should hope so. Though it's possible you might offend her by doing such. Besides [Here his tone turns slightly amused] are you so sure she won't get the upper hand on you?

[ With his back now to Ciel, he allows his irritation to show on his face, though not in his voice. ]

If I'm holding back, it's certainly a possibility. [ And before Ciel can retort — ] Please excuse me while I fetch the tea, young master.

[ He slips out the door without waiting for a reply.

When he returns, it's a short time later, with his gloves on and a careful approach from Ciel's right, to keep the boy from seeing his eye. He places the tray on the table beside the chair, then pours a cup of it with the usual grace and steady hands. ]

[He picks up the tea once it's been poured and takes a sip grimacing slightly. The tea in Johto is nothing compared to back home, however it's better than some of the things they have.

There's a few moments of silence while Ciel drinks his tea and goes over the last few days in his mind. Which brings to mind a certain incident with a certain child.]

Sebastian, about that Romano boy... It wouldn't do to indulge in his fantasies that you are some... evil demon out to get him. [He raises in eyebrow at the butler, amused at his own analogy]

[ While Ciel drinks, Sebastian has busied himself tidying the room. It's an art he perfected ages ago as a butler, cleaning things that don't need cleaning in an endeavour to seem productive. He pauses, however, at his master's words. ]

I'll have you know I did no such thing. [ His tone is mild, but his words are short and sharp. ] He received the same message in his gift basket that the others did; he merely chose to interpret it willfully. [ He chooses not to mention the fact that he sent that gift basket knowing full well that Romano would interpret it the way he did. ]

[That's okay. Ciel's perfectly aware that Sebastian knew how he'd take it.]

Why send a gift basket to him at all? You knew he'd overreact, and that's exactly what you were looking for. Not only have you smeared your name, however, but as my butler, you've smeared mine as well.

[He looks up from his tea at Sebastian's back.] You seem to be forgetting this.

[ Sebastian is silent a moment, reining in his temper and waiting for the curl of his lip to subside, lest it be heard in his voice. After a long moment, he exhales slowly, quietly; the only tell is the slow sink of his shoulders.

The only thing stopping him from saying something he'll regret is the promise of a meal, however bleak a promise it seems now. Who knows if they'll ever wind up back home, or if the contract won't be null when and if they do? Sebastian won't take that chance. ]

The boy has been reassured and apologized to personally. [ There are a million other things on the tip of his tongue, none of them polite, so he presses his lips together and resumes dusting the shelf. ]

Yes, he has been. I apologized to him myself for my butler's behavior and told him I would take care of it.

[He notes Sebastian's clipped tone and eyes him critically. He's heard the demon use that tone before, but never on him.]

[ He sets the duster down with a clack and looks over his shoulder, eyes sharp. The effect is somewhat less without the pigeon's-blood flash of light in them, but the edge on his words makes up for it. No, he never spoke to Ciel like this when he was a demon. He never felt the need to. ]

I apologized to him myself, thank you. It's been taken care of. No need to trouble yourself.

[ There's a remarkable amount of venom in his voice, but he keeps it tight, keeps the snarl out. ]

[Ciel freezes for a moment and nearly drops his tea cup. The momentary shock is enough for him the miss what a mess his face is. And then the indignance that follows. He does see it as he sets his tea cup down and stands up, but notes it in the back of his mind.]

It is only right that you apologize. It was your own doing that got us both into this mess! That makes it trouble for me. I have to take responsibility for the actions of my servants!

[He's glaring at Sebastian, daring him to speak out again.]

[ It's a clear challenge, and Sebastian turns on his heel to meet it, not only facing Ciel fully now, but coming a single, long stride closer to tower over him. ]

You had no need to be involved. The mess has been cleaned up. I'd advise you stop turning this into a larger problem for you than it needs to be. [ He stops for the moment, though there's much more to say, and draws a quick breath to get hold of the reins again. ]

[Ciel takes a slight step back. Only one. He is not going to back down from his butler]

If I hadn't done something about this, it could have escalated into a larger problem!

When someone accuses you of poisoning them in public, I have every need to be involved, hoax or not. You nearly traumatized a child, and seeing as you are a butler of the Phantomhive I need to step in and make amends. A mere butler's apology is not nearly enough.

[ Sebastian lets go of the reins.

Even now, even human, he's too fast for Ciel to get out of the way in time. The back of his hand catches Ciel fully across the side of the face, with literally every ounce of Sebastian's (admittedly weakened) force behind it. It's more than enough.

He speaks in a low hiss. ]

You are unbelievable. That you actually think your words hold more weight than mine here — that you think your apologies are worth more than any other child's — you are nothing here. In this world, you are only what you can do for yourself, and that, boy, does not amount to much.

[He hits the ground eyes flying wide open. His cheek stings, and his vision has blurred. He's speechless

Sebastian hit him. He hit him. It takes a moment for him to even fathom this. Sebastian who is not supposed to be able to harm him, Sebastian his obedient butler, Sebastian who has always followed his orders, Sebastian hit him.

And then he's slapped again, this time by Sebastian's words. A reality he'd been trying to deny, to not think of. The fact that he might be, that he is, no one here. No one recognizes the power of the Phantomhives here in Johto. There's no Queen to follow, no wealth or name to rely on. He's just some kid, like the rest of them. Like the rest of them.

Now his eyes sting. It's from the pain, and certainly not because of Sebastian's words. Resisting the urge to touch his face he stands up slowly giving Sebastian a cold look, though tears behind it are evident. He speaks low and quietly.]

You say what I do for myself does not amount to much? I suppose we'll see then.

[He makes his way toward the door to grab his back and coat, then bends down to put on his shoes. If Sebastian thinks he can't survive without him, he'll prove him wrong.]

[ This was exactly what Sebastian had been so carefully choosing his words to avoid. He'd seen this coming much earlier in the conversation, and damnit, look where they'd ended up.

He wants to stop him, to drag him back by force, but he knows why: because so long as Ciel cannot fend for himself, he has to rely on Sebastian, and that gives Sebastian some amount of control. Hell, here, it gives him complete control. If Ciel manages to survive on his own, Sebastian loses that advantage.

What's worse, he's grown accustomed to Ciel. No, not to Ciel, to his master. In this last week, he's been nothing short of restless, agitated, without anyone to look after. Chrome had filled that void for a night, but she has her own traveling party, and Sebastian doubts he can take her away. Besides, she's not so easy to tend to as Ciel is. It isn't her way.

If Ciel walks out of here, Sebastian will go right back to being restless and agitated and powerless. In the moments it takes Ciel to walk to the door, he struggles with a decision that shouldn't even be a decision.

But what would he say? 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean it?' 'I take it back?' Nothing he can say will stop Ciel from walking out, so in the end, Sebastian bites his tongue and clenches his fists so hard that even his human nails might have drawn blood, if it weren't for his gloves. When he thinks he can speak without saying anything extraordinarily stupid, he does, against his better judgment, in a level, cold tone. ]

If it's all the same to you, you can take all of your belongings. I've been paying for this room, after all. Perhaps the desk clerk will take pity on you.

[He pauses in fumbling with the laces of his boots, an act which is twice as aggravating as normal, and glances up scowling. Instead of bothering with his shoes, he ties it in one knot and tucks the extra length into the tops. Once finished with that he stalks about the room gathering up his belongings, the few outfits and books he's obtained since arriving, and some other knick knacks scattered about.

Once he thinks he has everything he walks out of the room practically slamming the door behind him. He doesn't want to be here. Here being the inn, here being Johto, but he has no control over the latter.

Instead he stomps out into the chilly night, headed for Route 32. He needs to take his frustration out on something, and the best way to do that here is Pokémon battles]

[ When the door slams, Sebastian lets out a breath he hadn't thought he was holding, and is instantly angry about it. He swings, furious and aimless, and his hand finds the mirror mounted above the fireplace. The glass shatters. He feels the slow slide of blood before he feels the pain.

He could get even angrier about it — this shouldn't hurt so fucking much; it should be healing already — but instead, he cradles his hand to his chest and closes his eyes.

No wonder he never took contracts before. ]

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over there stands my angry angel ♫ [closed]

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